Embodiments of the invention generally relate to communication servers, and more particularly to integration of communications servers on automation apparatuses.
Automation apparatuses may be used in industrial, commercial, and residential applications, for protecting electrical devices and providing control automation. There exists a plurality of applications for these apparatuses, for example protection relays, including, but not limited to, motor protection and starter relays, auxiliary relays, bus protection, control and transfer switches, differential and timing relays, directional relays, feeder protection, generator protection, network communication protection, pilot and distance relays, synchronizer relays, transformer protection, and other suitable applications. Furthermore, in any applicable instance, there may be several protection relays used across an entire automation system. Moreover, communication may be necessary to and from every protection relay for the automation system.
Turning to FIG. 1, an example automation system 100 is illustrated depicting a conventional communications arrangement. As illustrated, system 100 includes an automation application 101 in active communication with network 102. The automation application 101 may be an application for control of a process such as a factory automation process, conveyance system process, heating-ventilation-air-conditioning (HVAC) process, or any suitable process. The automation application 101 may reside on a computer apparatus or a processor of the computer apparatus, and may direct the processor of the computer apparatus to perform functions or acts to control the process. For example, the automation process 101 may, over network 102, communicate with communications server 103. The communications server 103 may direct operations of relays 106 and/or PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) 105 to control the process. The communications server 103 may communicate with the relays 106 and/or PLC 105 over channel 104. Channel 104 maybe a channel suitable for device level communications. Typical examples of such channels include 4-wire communications protocols, differential serial buses, remote input/output busses, or other suitable device level communications channels. Furthermore, as the communications server 103 communicates directly with relays 106 and/or PLC 105, it may direct relays 106 and/or PLC 105 to perform control operations such as activation/deactivation of motors 107, control of load 108, and/or other similar operations.
However, it should be appreciated that communications server 103 provides communications between the automation application 101 and devices for control automation. Therefore, any issues or problems with the systemic operation of the communications server 103 may result in significant downtime of the process being controlled and/or failure of the automation system 100 (e.g., every device is controlled through the communications server 103). It should further be appreciated that downtime or failure of the automation system 100 could result in injury to factory employees or significant loss of factory output.